Broken Pieces

Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it? BoX is a novella about 27 individuals who wake up in isolation cubes, not knowing how they got there or why. They learn that they are part of an experiment and will be put through a series of deadly tests that will challenge their morals, mental capacity, and their will to survive. I wrote BoX to push myself in character development, to really display the good and bad aspects of human nature, and to write a story with meaning.

If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask? If I could invite anyone to a dinner party, I would invite my two favorite authors, Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti. Their writing has inspired me in so many ways and I want to glean from them what I can. I don’t know if I would invite any others. I wouldn’t want to be distracted. It wouldn’t be much of a dinner party, but it would be an enjoyable time!

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax? It’s rare when I get the opportunity to relax. My life is oftentimes very chaotic. When I do relax though, it’s by reading a great book while lounging in the recliner, or watching a movie with my roommate. Sometimes I daydream, but that doesn’t last for too long. Oh, and sometimes I take a nap!

Do you have any tips on how writers can relax? Something I’ve been trying to adapt into my everyday life is realizing that I need to stop taking myself so seriously. I want to embrace and enjoy life so that my writing flows from the depths of my experiences. If I’m constantly having stressful experiences, my writing won’t turn out as great. Try it for yourself!

How often do you write? And when do you write? I don’t write as much as I should, though I’m getting better. I often have long periods of time where I’m lacking motivation. With life shifting so drastically, and with all the changes that are about to happen, I’m thinking inspiration will be within my grasp.

Sometimes it’s so hard to keep at it – What keeps you going? I write whenever inspiration hits me, whether that is after reading a great book, or watching a fantastic movie. Sometimes I get an itch to write and a surge of creativity overflows. Now that my first book is published and people like it, I have more motivation to keep going!

What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel? When I write, I want others to be able to connect to the characters and the story in a powerful way. I want to challenge their thinking and bring them into my own world. I want my readers to be able to feel the emotion I felt when writing a particular scene.

What color represents your personality the most? The color that represents my personality the most would be turquoise, two colors that represent life and refreshing mixed together. When I talk, I only want words of life pouring from my mouth. I want to encourage others and show them they have worth. I don’t want to speak anything negative or derogatory. I want people to feel as if their heart got a refreshing touch when they interact with me, to where they feel empowered to live life and follow their dreams.

What movie do you love to watch? I don’t have any specific movies that I watch. Normally, I don’t watch movies more than once.

How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing? Twitter and Facebook are great for staying in contact with family and old friends. They are also good ways of advertising your latest works! I have an account on both sites. The problem comes when an individual is so addicted to social media, that they don’t have a life outside of the internet.